News – Sheridan Media
National Public Safety Telecommunications Week (NPSTW) is observed every second week in the month of April to recognize, appreciate and celebrate the work of communications technicians helping to save the lives of Sheridan residents and visitors every day.
Considered one of the most stressful jobs in America, these dedicated individuals work all hours of the day and night, remaining on the phone with someone as long as they are needed and responding to every type of emergency call, reacting with lightning speed and retaining a sense of calm. They are the telecommunicators or communications technicians, but most people know them more commonly as dispatchers.
Beginning April 13 to April 19, Sheridan City Police Department leadership and officers will, and encourage others to, honor and thank communications technicians who continue to serve in this demanding profession.
Sheridan area communications technicians work within a dispatch center. Responsible for dispatching every local first responder organization in the Sheridan area, the center falls under the command and control of the Sheridan Police Department.
Cynthia Shepherd-Godwin has served the community as a communications technician for 25 years. She told listeners of Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse the duty requires the skills of multitasking, interpersonal communications and the ability to remain calm under intense pressure.
C. Shepard-Godwin
Here in Sheridan, the dispatch center is also responsible for issuing warrants. This can cover stolen property, missing persons, alerting an officer or deputy to a warrant for a resident or visitor into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). This is a national index of criminal justice information maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
C. Shepard-Godwin
Shepard-Godwin said she loves the job because she knows she’s making a difference in the community, the SPD is like family to her and everyday has been different. But after 25 years, Shepard-Godwin will retire later this year, hanging up her mic after countless lives saved and touched, serving as a voice on the other end when so many needed her most.
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Last modified: April 17, 2025